Episodes
Ten Minutes to Doomsday
September 18, 1959
M Squad hunts for a bomb before it blows up a hospital. Jonas Blecker, an embittered bank clerk who went to prison for dipping in the till to loan money to depositors down on their luck, wants to commemorate his 1st anniversary as a free man by killing the judge who gave him the maximum sentence. The judge is in Columbus Hospital for a delicate operation and he can't be moved.
The European Plan
September 25, 1959
Mrs Ashton is killed during a house robbery. The M squad are brought in to try and work out what happened. A very open and shut case suddenly becomes exceedingly complex.
Sunday Punch
October 2, 1959
When a well-liked retired couple is found brutally murdered, evidence points to their curmudgeonly neighbor. Lieutenant Ballinger is initially skeptical of his story, but thorough investigation reveals that things are not always as they seem.
Jeopardy by Fire
October 9, 1959
The M squad is called in after a series of factory fires occur in the Chicago area. The case become complex after the unusual chemical signature of the fire accelerants is identified.
Murder in C-Sharp Minor
October 16, 1959
Detective Ballinger is brought in to investigate the murder of night club owner Joe Dalio. The case seems open and cut with a suspect in custody, however Ballinger has just enough doubt to continue the investigation.
The Human Bond
October 23, 1959
A bail bondsman's son is kidnapped to force his father to post an $80,000 bond for the release of a murderous extortionist. Lieutenant Ballinger finds himself on a dangerous high-speed boat chase when the culprit attempts to avoid trial (and a likely death sentence) by escaping to Canada.
Mama's Boy
October 30, 1959
Detective Ballinger is called in after what seems to be a professional hit on a desk clerk at a hotel. A witness identifies who may have done the killing, but Ballinger is concerned he can not find any connection for why the clerk should have been shot.
Shred of Doubt
November 6, 1959
Ballinger is called in to investigate when a burning car is found with the body of a young woman bound with wire inside. The chief suspect, playboy lawyer Paul Crater, seems to have an air tight alibi. Ballinger needs to cast his net wider to solve this mystery.
Death by Adoption
November 20, 1959
Used car salesman Larry Colman has argument with Art Brunswick, a man who claims to the be the father of Colman's daughter. Colman unearths evidence Brunswick is not who he claims to be leading to a deadly altercation.
Another Face, Another Life
November 27, 1959
Ballinger is part of an ongoing investigation into racketeering in the night club industry. After a fight breaks out in a club, Ballinger thinks he might have the break he has been looking for.
Voice from the Grave
December 4, 1959
Harry Conklin is killed while on the way to a secret Senate hearing into stand over tactics in the trucking industry. Suspicion falls heavily on a rival Martin Bodie. It is up to Ballinger to fight through the silence and uncover the truth.
The Upset
December 11, 1959
Danny Sutton is arrested. During the interview a rookie detective makes a mistake and Sutton gets access to a gun and Ballinger finds himself caught in a tense hostage situation.
One of Our Armored Cars Is Missing
December 18, 1959
An armored car is hijacked during a pickup at a government installation. There are surprisingly fews clues left behind by the criminals and Ballinger needs to try and unravel the mystery.
The Ivy League Bank Robbers
December 25, 1959
A woman and her baby are hospitalized after a group of bank robbers run them down during an escape. Ballinger wants the men for the robbery but more importantly he wants them to pay for what happened to the woman and her baby
The Twisted Way
January 1, 1960
A witness fingers the gangster who cut a rival in half with a shotgun blast, but the killer's alibied by a beautiful actress. The thesp is beloved in ChiTown and has a sterling rep that'll guarantee acquittal. Lt. Ballinger must discredit her story and find out why Tammy's lying for smarmy hood Sandy, who now controls the Loop liquor racket.
The Man Who Went Straight
January 8, 1960
Ballinger gets a tip from John Clavell, that an old drug dealer Manny Franchette is coming back into town to re-establish his old network. Clavell wants no part of it having decided to got straight.
The Second Best Killer
January 15, 1960
Herbie Ryder gains fame for stopping a bank robbery. After a media interview he is shot and killed. Ballinger is brought in in the belief that organized crime has ordered the hit.
Pitched Battle at Bluebell Acres
January 22, 1960
Ballinger is brought in when a robbery and murder occurs at an armory. He is puzzled by the list of weapons stolen including a bazooka and other heavy weapons. He knows they cant sell the weapons, so what is their plan?
The Man Who Lost His Brain
January 26, 1960
When an "electronic brain" worth $2,000,000 is stolen and held for ransom of $300,000, Captain Grey and Lieutenant Ballinger devise an elaborate ruse that they hope will lead them to the computer and the thieves.
Debt of Honor
February 2, 1960
During a crack down on Chicago crime, Bugsy Page makes threats against the Attorney General Russel Madison. Ballinger needs to decide if the threats are real or simply an attempt to throw the man off.
The Man with Frank's Face
February 9, 1960
A badly beaten man is admitted to hospital. He does not have long to live and the police need to work fast to solve the mystery. The man appears unremarkable other than being an identical twin of Ballinger.
Burglar's Nightmare
February 16, 1960
A trio of bank robbers try to blow a safe. It all goes wrong and one of the criminals is killed in the explosion. Ballinger thinks there is a connection between other bank vault jobs in the area.
Needle in the Haystack
February 23, 1960
Lanny Cord escapes from a court room and disappears. Ballinger is interested in the case because he's originally arrested Cord and had always sworn to kill Ballinger if he had the opportunity.
Race to Death
March 1, 1960
British racing car driver Morrison is killed in a local race. The driver's chief mechanic presents evidence to M Squad that indicated the car may have been tampered with before the accident.
The Velvet Stake-out
March 8, 1960
Conrad Brenner is found dead in an apparent suicide. As Ballinger continues the investigation it becomes evident that he's actually been murdered, when a personal diary can't be found, Ballinger realizes the truth of the case.
Anything for Joe
March 15, 1960
After a narcotics robbery, Ballinger makes an arrest, but is concerned the collar was too easy. Everything about the arrested person does not seem to add up and Ballinger pushes hard for answers.
A Kid Up There
March 22, 1960
Frank Ballinger becomes involved in a tense hostage situation, he must restrain his instinct to simply shoot it out because of fears their may be a young child involved.
Diary of a Bomber
March 29, 1960
Ballinger is on a case involving threats against a visiting prince to Chicago. Mo one is taking the situation too seriously until a little girl accidentally finds the detonating device for a home made bomb.
Let There Be Light
April 5, 1960
During a robbery one of the criminals is hit in the eye and blinded. Ballinger has a fair idea who is behind the crime. Urgency increases when news comes through an eye specialist has been kidnapped.
A Gun for Mother's Day
April 12, 1960
Lieutenant Ballinger works to solve a series of armed holdups as a means toward the capture of shotgun-wielding Ma Phelan, who murdered a detective while helping her son Pete escape from police custody.
The Man with the Ice
April 19, 1960
Ballinger is working a jewelry theft when he becomes convinced one of thieves is a clean skin amateur. He realizes by putting pressure on this individual he has a chance to crack the entire racket open.
Dead Parrots Don't Talk
May 3, 1960
A penny arcade owner is robbed and murdered. Suspision falls on a local peddler. But Ballinger thinks there is more to this case than anyone is admitting.
Grenade for a Summer Evening
May 10, 1960
A man is killed while sleeping Ballinger begins to investigate and discovers very different opinions about the dead man's character exist.
Two Days for Willy
May 17, 1960
Willy Nichols is due to testify in a narcotics investigation, although under police protection he receives a threatening phone call and suddenly disappears. Ballinger must find Nichols to save the case.
Badge for a Coward
May 24, 1960
Accompanied by a female reporter, Lieutenant Ballinger investigates an elderly woman's charge that the man who robbed her store and killed a police officer was able to escape as a direct result of Officer George Maxwell's cowardice.
Closed Season
May 31, 1960
Sonny Bradley is charged with murder. Ballinger begins to investigate and quickly realizes something is not right about the statements from the witnesses, and starts see a much bigger game being played.
Fire in the Sky
June 7, 1960
A plane is blown up killing ten people. Evidence begins to indicate that it wasn't an accident. Ballinger begins to follow the trail and starts to discover a complicated insurance scam in action.
The Tiger's Cage
June 14, 1960
A bookkeeper is robbed and murdered at a circus. A clown named Laslo is identified as the killer. Ballinger and the rest of M squad have to deal with how Laslo could have committed the crime while performing in front of 5000 people in the main tent.
The Bad Apple
June 21, 1960
Ballinger and M squad are called in to investigate a diamond robbery. All the evidence points to an inside job. M squad have the tough task of working out who was the inside connection.
